Ferulic acid, also named as 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy cinnamic acid, is one of the phenol acids widely found in a variety of plants. Ferulic acid is one of the active ingredients in some Chinese medicinal herbs like ‘Danggui’ (angelica), ‘Chuanxiong’, and ‘Awei’ (ferulic) and has a wide range of pharmacology effects such as anti-inflammatory effect, antibacterial effect, anti-oxidation effect, enhancing immunity, anti-tumor effect, anti-cardiovascular disease effect, antithrombotic effect, anti-Alzheimer's effect, et al.
One of the most common Chinese medicinal herbs, Sophora flavescens Alt. contains a variety of alkaloids which mainly have matrine and oxymatrine, also have sophocarpine, sophoridine, N-oxysophocarpine and iso-matrine. Using these alkaloids like matrine, oxymatrine, and sophocarpine as active ingredients which have pharmacology effects like antivirus effect, anti-liver fibrosis effect, enhancing immunity, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects, some pharmaceutical products have been clinically used in the treatments for chronic liver disease, virus infection, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Our research found that the pharmaceutical compositions containing ferulic acid and matrine compounds can significantly increase the pharmacology effects of both ferulic acid and matrine compounds, decrease the toxic effects of matrine compounds, and improve the aqueous and fat solubility of both ingredients.